Nutrition Diet: Which is easier to digest, turkey or chicken?

October 18, 2025 •

4 min read

While both are excellent lean protein sources and considerably easier to digest than red meat, subtle nutritional differences can influence how they affect your gut. The answer to which is easier to digest, turkey or chicken, is not a simple one and depends more on the specific cut and preparation method than the type of bird itself.

Quick Summary

This guide compares the digestibility of chicken and turkey, analyzing key factors like fat content, cut of meat, and preparation techniques. It explores the minor nutritional differences and provides practical tips for selecting and preparing poultry to maximize digestive ease.

Key Points

Slight Digestibility Edge: While both are highly digestible, chicken breast has a negligibly higher Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) than turkey breast.
Fat is the Key Factor: The most significant influence on digestive time is fat content; leaner cuts and the removal of skin result in faster digestion.
White Meat vs. Dark Meat: White meat from both turkey and chicken is leaner and therefore easier to digest than dark meat.
Gentle Cooking is Best: Cooking methods like steaming or boiling retain moisture and avoid adding extra fat, making the poultry easier on the stomach compared to frying or grilling.
Tenderize with Preparation: Cutting or grinding the meat into smaller pieces helps mechanical digestion and can further increase the ease of processing.
Both Are Better Than Red Meat: Overall, both turkey and chicken are more easily digested than red meat due to a lower content of tough collagen.

Poultry is a staple in many diets, valued for its lean protein and versatility. For those with sensitive stomachs or specific digestive concerns, understanding which poultry is easier to digest is important. While chicken and turkey are often considered interchangeable, a closer look reveals that while both are highly digestible, slight nuances exist that can influence your digestive comfort.

Digestibility: The Head-to-Head Comparison

According to registered dietitians, there is a minor difference in digestibility between chicken and turkey, though both are far easier on the digestive system than red meat. The key lies in their Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS), a metric that measures how well a protein is digested and absorbed by the body. A perfect score is 1.0. Skinless chicken breast has a PDCAAS of 0.93, while skinless turkey breast has a score of 0.91, giving chicken a slight, almost negligible, edge. This score indicates that the body can utilize chicken protein slightly more efficiently.

However, for most individuals with a healthy digestive system, the difference is unnoticeable. The real variations in how these meats are processed by the body come down to other factors, primarily fat content and cooking methods.

Key Factors Influencing Digestibility

When comparing poultry for digestive ease, these elements matter more than the type of bird.

Fat Content and Cut

Fat slows down the digestion process, meaning that leaner cuts of meat will always be easier to digest.

White Meat vs. Dark Meat: White meat (breast) is leaner than dark meat (legs and thighs). Therefore, white meat is digested more quickly by the body than dark meat.
Skin: The skin on both chicken and turkey is high in fat, and consuming it will increase the digestion time. Removing the skin before eating significantly reduces fat intake and speeds up digestion.
Turkey's Lean Advantage: Notably, studies suggest that white meat from turkey is leaner than white meat from chicken, giving turkey a slight nutritional edge in this specific category. Similarly, dark meat turkey is often leaner than dark meat chicken.

The Role of Cooking Method

How you prepare your poultry has a huge impact on how your body handles it. Overcooked or very tough meat is harder to break down, while moderate cooking is generally better for young people, and well-cooked meat is recommended for the elderly to improve protein utilization.

Cooking Temperature: Cooking at very high temperatures, like grilling or frying, can make meat proteins more resistant to digestive enzymes, though this depends on the specific cooking time and temperature. Meanwhile, high-temperature cooking, especially when creating crispy skin, introduces extra fat that slows digestion.
Moisture Content: Meat with higher moisture content, such as chicken breast, may be more easily absorbed in the digestive system. Cooking methods that retain moisture, like steaming or boiling, are best for easy digestion.
Preparation: Mincing or grinding meat can help with digestibility as it breaks down the muscle fibers into smaller pieces, making it easier for enzymes to act upon.

Protein Structure and Connective Tissue

Poultry is easier to digest than red meat because it has a lower content of collagen, a structural protein that reduces digestibility. This difference is more pronounced between poultry and red meat than between chicken and turkey themselves, as both poultry types share similar low collagen levels.

Chicken vs. Turkey: A Nutritional Deep Dive

While digestibility is a primary concern, it's helpful to compare the broader nutritional profiles. The following table provides a comparison based on approximate values for a 3-ounce (85g) serving of cooked, boneless, skinless breast meat.


Nutrient	Skinless Chicken Breast (approx.)	Skinless Turkey Breast (approx.)
Calories	128 kcal	125 kcal
Protein	26g	26g
Fat	2.7g	1.7g
Saturated Fat	0.8g	0.5g
Cholesterol	88mg	68mg
Iron	0.39mg	0.6mg
Zinc	0.77mg	1.46mg
Choline	94mg	72mg

As the table shows, skinless turkey breast is slightly leaner and lower in cholesterol than chicken breast, while offering more zinc and iron. Chicken breast, on the other hand, provides more choline and slightly more moisture. Both remain excellent sources of high-quality protein and B-complex vitamins.

Making the Best Choice for Your Digestion

For those seeking the easiest-to-digest option, focus on preparation rather than obsessing over the minor differences between chicken and turkey.

Tips for Optimal Poultry Digestion:

Choose Lean Cuts: Stick to skinless breast meat for the lowest fat content and fastest digestion.
Cook Gently: Opt for steaming, boiling, or baking rather than frying or grilling. This retains moisture and avoids adding extra fat, which slows digestion.
Cut into Smaller Pieces: Shredding or mincing the meat helps mechanical digestion, so your stomach and intestines have less work to do.
Avoid the Skin: The skin's fat content increases digestion time significantly, so always remove it if you're aiming for digestive ease.
Chew Thoroughly: Don't rush your meal. Chewing your food properly is the first and one of the most important steps in the digestive process.

For more insights on proteins that are easy on the gut, you can consult reputable health resources. Verywell Health provides an excellent list of easy-to-digest proteins.

Conclusion: The Verdict on Poultry Digestibility

When it comes down to it, the difference in digestibility between turkey and chicken is minimal for the average person. Both are highly digestible, complete proteins that are gentler on the stomach than red meat. From a purely technical standpoint, skinless chicken breast has a slightly higher protein digestibility score, but skinless turkey breast is slightly leaner. For most people, the decision comes down to personal taste and nutritional goals, as the factors of fat content and cooking method are far more influential on digestive ease. For the easiest-to-digest meal, choose a lean cut of either bird, cook it gently without added fat, and remove the skin. By focusing on smart preparation, you can enjoy the nutritional benefits of both chicken and turkey without discomfort.

Frequently Asked Questions

Technically, skinless chicken breast has a very slightly higher protein digestibility score than skinless turkey breast, but the difference is minimal and typically unnoticeable for most people. Both are excellent, highly digestible protein sources.

Poultry meat contains less connective tissue, specifically collagen, than red meat. This structural difference means the muscle fibers break down more easily in the digestive tract, resulting in a quicker and smoother digestion process.

Yes, how you cook poultry significantly affects its digestibility. Gentle cooking methods like boiling, steaming, or poaching make the meat more tender and easier to digest. High-temperature cooking, such as frying, can slow down digestion, especially if extra fat is added.

White meat (breast) is easier to digest than dark meat (legs and thighs). This is because white meat is leaner and contains less fat, and fat is a nutrient that slows down the digestive process.

For most people, there is no significant difference in the digestibility of ground turkey versus ground chicken. Since they are both already in smaller pieces, grinding further aids mechanical digestion, making both versions easier to process than a whole cut of meat.

To maximize digestibility, choose lean, skinless cuts like breast meat. Cook the poultry gently through steaming, boiling, or baking. For extra help, cut the meat into smaller pieces or shred it after cooking to aid mechanical digestion.

The time it takes to digest chicken or turkey can vary based on the person and the meal's composition, but lean poultry is often digested in about 2 to 3 hours. This is significantly faster than the 4-6 hours it may take for tougher red meat.